PLANS have been drawn up for a £5.5m new junction to ease traffic and pollution in neighbouring North Yorkshire towns.

North Yorkshire County Council has formally applied to construct a new slip road and two roundabouts serving Malton and Norton.

The interchange scheme at the A64 Brambling Fields junction with the B1248 Scarborough Road aims to rid Malton of the traffic queues and congestion and help combat pollution caused by the traffic.

The work is designed to provide an alternative route into Norton for traffic travelling eastbound on the A64, to avoid it needing to travel through Malton.

The Brambling Fields interchange improvement is being funded by the Highways Agency, If the scheme is approved construction work could start late this year or early next and would take around nine months.

The plans are part of a scheme which includes improvements to Castlegate, Railway Street, Saville Street and Wells Street. Proposals have also been put forward to make parts of Malton’s Market Place traffic-free.

Further information about the scheme can be found at northyorks.gov.uk or Ryedale House in Malton.